Clothesline trolley



1953 T. FINKBEINER ET AL 2,627,819

CLOTHESLINE TROLLEY Filed Sept. 23, 1949 /v|5a 28a mlw u E\!:l|w "h..

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25 I 2e 37 Fig. 6

' INVENTORS' THEODORE FINKBEINER CHRIS FUNK ATTORNE Y5 Patented Feb. 10,1953 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE TROLLEY Theodore Finkbeinerand Chris Funk, Wakeeney, Kans.

Application September 23, 1949, Serial No. man

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to clothes basket support devices and moreparticularly to improvements in trolleys for movably supporting aclothes basket on a clothes line.

One of the objects or the invention is to provide a rigid trolley framehaving spaced clothes line engaging rollers thereon, the frame beingprovided with suitable means for suspending a clothes basket therefrom.

Another object is to provide the frame with means which permits theclothes basket to be rotated about a vertical axis to differentpositions of adjustment.

Another object is to lock the clothes basket in a predetermined positionof adjustment about the vertical axis of rotation.

Another object is to interconnect the frame and clothes basket byadjustable members.

Another object is to provide the frame with suitable means from which aclothes pin bag or basket may be supported.

Another object is to provide the device with suitable braking means toprevent retrograde coasting down a sagging or inclined clothes line.

Further objects are to provide a device of the class referred to whichis simple and rugged in construction, economical to manufacture, andefficient and versatile in operation.

Still further objects, advantages and salient features will become moreapparent from the description to follow, the appended claims, and theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation showing a trolley device, which forms thesubject of the invention, in position on a clothes line, supporting aclothes basket in suspended relationship;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the trolley device shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the device as viewed from line 33,Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on line s-4, Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken on line 55, Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6-45, Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a fragment of a slightly modifiedconstruction; and

Figure 8 is an end elevation as viewed from line 88, Figure '7.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the subject of the inventioncomprises, in general, a movable trolley frame l0, supported by clothesline H, the frame supporting a clothes basket l2 by adjustable membersI3.

Frame 16 is formed of two angularly disposed flat bar members l4, l5,welded to a tube It therebetween, at the lower ends thereof, each barbeing bent to provide a lateral portion ll, and a downwardly extendingportion I8 to form a U-shaped channel It: in which is disposed a groovedroller Ell, which is supported for rotation by a pin or bolt 2|extending across the channel. The lateral portion ll of one or both ofthe members it, i5 is provided with an aperture 22 (Figure 5) whichreceives the hooked end 23 of a wire braking member 24 which lies withinthe pulley groove, and which has a wedge shape lower end 25 which isgrooved as shown at 26 (Figure 6) to conform to the shape of clothesline II, the latter usually being a wire. When the trolley is moved tothe left in Figure 5, the pulley rotates freely and the braking member24 is inoperative. If it be attempted to move it to the right, however,the lower end of the braking member wedges between the pulley andclothes line and prevents rotation of the pulley. Thus, if thereisconsiderable sag or incline in the wire II and the frame is being movedin a direction up the incline, braking member 24 will prevent retrogrademovement of the trolley down the incline. Braking member 24 may beunhooked and removed from the trolley if it is not desired to use it.While only one braking member has beenillustrated, it is to .beunderstood that such a member may be employed with each of the rollers20, if desired.

A circular rod 21 is rotatably supported in tube It, the lower endhaving a fiat cross bar 25 welded thereto and the upper end having across pin 29 engageable in pairs of notches 39, 39 and 31, 3| in the topof tube It which look the rod in positions apart. Thus bar 23 may bedisposed either parallel to the clothes line or perpendicular thereto.

Bar .28 is provided with apertures 32, near its ends, each aperturehaving a portion of a hook 33 extending therethrough. A chain 35 isconnected at its lower end to an eye 35 on the upper end of a rod 36,having a hook 31 at its lower end adapted to engage a handle 38 ofhasket l2, the links ofthe chain being engageable with hook 33. Thisconstruction renders memhers is readily adjustable in length by merelydisposing chains 34 on hooks 33 in a desired position.

In use of the device the trolley, and basket with washed textilestherein, are disposed on the clothes line as shown in Figure l and aswashed textiles, such as 39, are pinned to the line, the trolley ismoved therealong, the basket always being in a convenient position. Insome cases, such as where a plurality of clothes lines are disposed inparallel relation, it is more convenient to dispose the longitudinalaxis of the basket perpendicular to the lines which may readily beattained by lifting bar 28 and rod 21 to position pin 29 in the otherset of notches in tube l6.

A chain 49- extends between bars M, 15, the ends thereof being securedthereto by rivets M, or the like, this chain serving to support aclothes pin receptacle, such as a bag (not shown), by a suitable hookthereon engaging the chain. It is apparent that any other member such asa cable or bar could be employed in lieu of a chain.

In Figures 7 and 8 a slight modification is shown in which the swivelconnection of bar 29' to tube It; is dispensed with. In thisconstruction bar 28a is disposed between the lower ends of bars [4a, |5aand welded thereto in the position occupied by tube I 6 of thepreviously described embodiment. This construction has the advantagethat it may be more economically manufactured, but, of course, lacks therefinement of the swivel feature of bar 27.

It is to be understood that the invention, as disclosed, is exemplaryonly and that many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art,within the purview thereof, and hence the invention is not to be limitedto the precise details illustrated except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

A device for supporting" a clothes a clothes line, comprising, a trolleyhaving a rigid frame with spaced grooved rollers rotatably supportedthereby an immovable distance apart adapted to engage the clothes line,the frame having a. portion adapted to extend below the clothes line,support means: extending transverselyfrom said portion substantially'thesame distan-2e in opposite directions,and tension members connected attheir upper ends to opposite ends of said support means, said-membershaving means at their lower ends ior enga'ging and supportinga clothesbasket, the construction and arrangement being such that the device maybe attached to and detached froma -clothes line while thetension-members remain connected to the support means.

2. A device in accordance with claim l-wherein said frameisformedof apair of divergent bars forminga v, the upper end of eachbar supportingone of the rollers and the lower ends being connected to said supportmeans.

3. A-device in accordance with claim 2 wherein a member extends betweensaid bars from portions'intermediate their endsadapted to support aclothes pin receptacle.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support means isconnected'tosaid portion for rotation about a vertical axis:

5. A device-in accordance with claim includ ing means for locking saidsupport means at pr determined angular positions about the vertical axisof rotation.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tension members areprovided with means for adjusting their lengths,

7. A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein the tension members areeach formed of a rod having a hook at its lower end adapted to engage ahandle of a clothes basket, and a chain connected at its lower end tothe upper end of the rod, the links of the chain being engageable with ahook on the supporting means.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1 including a braking deviceadapted to engage a roller and the clothes line to prevent retrogrademovement of the trolley down an inclined clothes line.

9. A device for supporting a clothes basket on a clothes line,comprising, a rigid frame formed of a pair of bars disposed in V-shaperelation, each bar having a grooved pulley rotatably supported at itsupper free end, the lower ends of the bars being connected together, across bar extending in a horizontal direction connected at its center tothe lower ends of the pair of bars, apertures near the ends of the crossbar, a hook for each aperture having a portion extending therethrough, achain for each hook engageeble therewith, a rod for each chain connectedto one end thereof, and a hook on the lower end of, each rod adapted toengage a handle of a clothes basket.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9 wherein the lower ends of thepair of bars are connected to a vertically extending tube, and the crossbar is provided with a vertically extending rod disposed within the tubeadapted to rotate therein, whereby the cross bar may be disposed indifierent angular positions, about a vertical axis, with respect to therigid frame.

11. A device in accordance with claim 10 wherein the upper end of therod is provided with means for engaging the upper end of the tube tolock the rod to the frame in the different U angular positions.

THEODORE FINKBEIINER. onnrs FUNK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

